A father in Mexico is facing potential murder charges after he picked up a weapon to rescue his son from two kidnappers in coastal Veracruz.
The incident occurred on Sunday in Tecamalucan when at least two men tried to kidnap a teenager from the town square, SinEmbargo.Mx reported. The abduction took place even though the local municipality hosts a detachment of Federal Police and military forces due to recent cartel violence.
According to Plumas Libres, 66-year-old Ramon, a former member of the town’s council, received a call from his son Jonas “N.” about two men who were following him. The father got a firearm and charged at the alleged kidnappers, killing one and injuring a second. Veracruz authorities arrived to document the crime scene and collect the kidnapper’s body. Despite rescuing his son, authorities arrested the father in a move that has drawn local discontent. Residents blocked roads and held protests demanding Ramon’s release.
The case comes at a time when Veracruz is plagued with an escalating number of kidnappings–including young children–many of which ended in murder. According to the non-governmental organization Alto Al Secuestro, Veracruz is the state with the highest rate of reported kidnappings in Mexico. The security crisis comes at a time when Mexico continues to face criticism as criminals rarely face prosecution while victims are often forgotten by government agencies.
The current Index on Global Impunity measured by the American University in Puebla ranks Mexico as number four in the list of countries. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of professionalism by Mexico’s investigative agencies. The lack of trust in the system has led to 93.7 percent of crimes going unreported in Mexico, scholars say.
In October, Breitbart Texas reported on the arrest of a store owner in Tlatelolco who fought off three armed robbers but had to spend several days in jail. Omar Sandoval was closing his shop when three men tried to rob him with firearm and knives. Sandoval wrestled the gun away and shot at the robbers. After spending several days in jail, authorities ruled that he acted in self-defense.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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